Bridge for musical instruments.



No. 642,4l6. Patented Jan. 30, I900.

J; u. BEETEM.

BRIDGE F08 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

(Application filed Aug. 24, 1899.)

(lo Model.)

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN NEYVTON BEETEM, OF MOOREDALE, PENNSYLVAN IA.

BRIDGE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,416, dated January 30, 1900. Application filed August 24,1899. Serial No. 728,296. (No model.)

To ctZZ whmn it may concern.-

Beit known that I, J OHN NEWTON BEETEM, of Mooredale, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Bridge for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to bridges for musical instruments, and has for its object to so construct a bridge of the indicated character that it will be strong and light.

To this end I employ the arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinafter, the novelty being particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a bridge adapted for use on a violin or like instrument, and Fig. 2 is a like view of a bridge adapted for use on a guitar or mandolin.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the bridge comprises a body A, arranged substantially horizontally, a series of individual string supports or rests B, extending upward from the said body, and a series of feet C, extending downward from the body A and each arranged directly under one of the string-supports B. Each of the string-supports B is preferably provided at the top with a string-guide D, made of hard material and secured to the support proper, B, in any suitable manner-for instance, by a tongue-and-groove connection, as shown.

To impart the necessary stiffness to the construction, I provide transverse braces E,which connect the string-supports 13 near the top and diagonal braces E, which extend from the top of the outermost supports to the bot tom of the two inuersupports. In practice the feet 0 may each be made in one piece with the corresponding support B.

It will be seen that the improved bridge is of considerable lightness and that owing to the arrangement of the braces it is strong enough for all purposes. Each string is supported individually and therefore vibrates much more readily than with the ordinary more or less solid construction of the bridge,

and the vibrations are transmitted much more effectively to the body of the instrument.

When applying my invention to guitars or mandolins, I employ the construction represented in Fig. 2, where A is the horizontal base or body, 0' are the feet, and B are the string-supports and carry the double stringguides or string-holders D. The bracing of the string-supports is dispensable in this case,

owing to the comparatively small height and greater width of said supports. This bridge has the same advantages as to tone, lightness, and strength as the one shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A bridge for musical instruments, comprising a base or body, a series of string-supports extended upward therefrom, and a series of feet extended downward from the base or body, each directly in line with one of the string-supports.

2. A bridge for musical instruments, comprising a base or body provided with feet extending downward therefrom, individual string-supports extending upward from the base or body, and braces connecting said supports adjacent to-their tops.

3. A bridge for musical instruments, comprising a base or body provided with feet extending downward therefrom, individual string-supports extending upward from the base or body, braces connecting said supports adjacent to their tops, and diagonal braces extending from the top of the outermost supports to the bottom of the adjacent inner sup 

